Rio Prayer Update

November 2007

Gordon, Ila, Claudia and David Dabbs

 CHECK OUT GORDON'S BLOG AT:  www.soulvenue.blogspot.com

Jessica Mueller had a long awaited brain surgery a couple of weeks ago.

Thanksgiving . . .

• Thank God for the baptism of Marta!  She made the decision yesterday after studying and praying with Ila over the past six months.
• Thanksgiving for the conversions of Luize (she studied with Kirsty 5 years ago and just made her decision!), for the conversion of Gloria, and for the baptism of Maria Amelia.  Also, please pray for these disciples as they begin the adventure of following Jesus.
• We are thankful for the continued success of the Pastoral Group.  Currently Brazilian members Julio Cesar and Jorge and serving alongside Gordon, Kevin and Carlos Castilho.
• We praise God for the World Mission Workshop that was just held at Oklahoma Christian University.  Thanks for all those who worked hard to put it on and for the amazing way that God's Spirit was present and working in the hearts of nearly a thousand university students.  Gordon was one of the keynote speakers.
• We are overwhelmingly grateful for the successful surgery (on an aneurism) of Jessica Mueller.  She is a teenaged member who has been waiting for two years to have this life-threatening problem treated.  After much, much, much prayer and the help of may of the church members, the surgery was scheduled and sucessfully performed at a hospital in Ipaveruna.

1) After six months of study (with Ila) and prayer, Marta is our sister in Christ. 2) Victory in Jesus!  Marta was baptized yesterday (Thursday).

Requests. . .

• Pray for our safe travels and work while we are on furlough.  We leave in the latter part of November.
• Ask God to bless Claudia and David's studies at the Brazilian school they attend.
• Pray for protection and blessings for Ashley Oehm, our intern who works with two orphanages. Also, we are so thankful for the Rocketdyne Road congregation in Neosho, MO for its continuing generosity to help the orphans.  Thanks!
• Pray for Marcos and Bianca who are studying the Bible with Gordon on Saturday mornings.  May God touch their hearts with his amazing grace.
• Pray for the upcoming weddings at the Victory Church in November:  Michele and Peter, Tiago and Thaisa, and Guilerme and Luize.
• Ask God to bless all of the evangelistic studies that are being held at our congregation.
• Pray for the "Derrotando Gigantes" (Defeating Your Giants) campaign that is starting in November at the Victory Church.
• Ask for the Lord's blessings upon these couples:  Hermeto and Katia, Amandio and Bete, and Geronimo and Penha.
• May God help the parents of the congregation to raise their children and may he bless Carlos Castilho's parenting class.
• Ask for the Lord's blessings upon Workshop 1 (for new members) on Sunday and for the children's party that we will be hosting at our home on Sunday as well.

Precious!  We had loads of fun at our annual Children's Day bash last month.

RIO PRAYER UPDATE

October 2007

Gordon, Ila, Claudia and David Dabbs

Rio Team commemorates 9 years since original arrival on the field.

Thanksgiving. . .

• Join with the angels in rejoicing over the baptism of Maria Amelia.
• Thank God for the new marriage of Luiz and Melissa.
• 9 years on the field!  The Rio Team celebrated with a meal at a wonderful restaurant the 9th anniversary of our arrival in Brazil (although the actual date is in November).
• Thank God for the unity enjoyed among the congregations in Rio de Janeiro.  We never take unity for granted.
• We thank God for a wonderful evangelistic Thursday night service last week.  We had over 160 in attendance to hear Tim Archer and Steve Ridgell of the  Herald of Truth ministry preach the gospel. 

1) Maria Amelia is a new Christ-follower. 2) Monday morning, we hosted Church of Christ evangelists from around Rio to be part of the bi-monthly prayer breakfast at our building.  This unifying and edifying breakfast has been occuring for the past two years.

Requests. . .

• Pray for the World Missions Workshop at the end of October.  Gordon will be making a lightning fast trip to the USA to speak to the gathering.  May many university-aged young men and women be called to the mission field through this powerful event.  Pray especially for Bob Carpenter, Harold Shank, the Niccums and the rest of those who are planning this event.
• Continue to pray for our transition to a Brazilian eldership over the next 14 months.
• Pray for God's comfort upon the David Meadows family.  David, a veteran Brazilian missionary and elder of the Guarulhos congregation in Sao Paulo, passed away on Monday.
• Gordon has received a highly unusual invitation to be a professor at the Baptist Seminary in Rio (the largest Baptist seminary in Latin America).  He would likely be asked to teach classes one morning a week.  Pray for wisdom for Gordon in deciding what to do.
• Pray for the slew of weddings coming up at the Victory Church (4 in November).
• Pray for the family of Valerio.  Valerio was an evangelist at the Ramos congregation in Rio.  He passed away a couple of weeks ago from a massive heart attack.  He leaves behind a wife, Waldesia, and two children, one of whom is a 14 year old autistic boy.  May the Lord help us to care for this precious family.
• Pray for God's continued blessings on our national TV program.  May the Lord especially bless F.H. Gates and Antenor Goncalves who have taken leadership in this endeavor.  To watch the programs on-line  (and see Gordon in action), check out the website  www.igrejadecristo.com .
• As always, pray for our marriage and our family.  We know that you are praying because we see God's blessings!  Keep it up!!!

A great man and an effective missionary.  Dave Meadows, long time Sao Paulo missionary, passed away this week.  His loss will be felt by churches all over Brazil.

RIO PRAYER UPDATE

May 2007

Gordon, Ila, Claudia and David Dabbs

 Please keep our ministry and our family in your prayers!

Thanksgiving. . .

• Thanksgiving for the growth of the women's ministry.  More ladies are involved than ever before.
• The small groups ministry has grown and is involving more Brazilian leaders.
• We are thankful for the recent weddings of Erick and Regina, Angelildo and Mere, and Hermeto and Katia.
• The Lord is showering his blessings upon our marriage and our family.  Thanks for your prayers in this area!
• We praise the Lord and thank Him for allowing the Victory Church to be part of a dynamic outreach to needy children in Rio.  Along with this, we are thankful for the Rocketdyne Road congregation in Neosho for providing funds for our congregation to use in helping two Children's Homes in the Rio area.  Eleven children from the homes are attending church each week. 

Requests. . .

• Ask for the Lord of the Harvest to kindle within the hearts of our members a love for their families and friends so that they will be courageous in sharing their faith with those people.  With our focus on leadership development and organizational issues, the evangelism has not been as high a priority in 2007 as it needs to be.
• May God protect and bless the children from the AMAI Children's Homes who are being aided by the Victory congregation.
• Pray for God's blessings upon Bruno who is being mentored by Gordon to be a preacher.  They spend personal time together each week, share the pulpit on occasion and are looking to involve Bruno more and more in the preaching ministry.
• Ask God to bless Jefferson and Bruno as they continue their seminary studies in preparation to work full-time with the congregation.
• Pray for the Brazilian congregation as it strives to pay off a loan from the states that helped finish the building project.
• Ask for God to bless our national TV program.
• May the Lord help Claudia and David in their school work and their faith development.

Photo 1: Licio and Leila (directors of Children's Home "AMAI" with their daughter.

Photo 2: Gordon at the church building with kids from AMAI.

Photo 3: David and Claudia did some archery practice last week.  They are both straight shooters!

RIO PRAYER UPDATE

November 2006

Gordon, Ila, Claudia and David Dabbs

  Your prayers really make a difference.  Thanks for speaking to the Father about our needs!

 THANKSGIVING  

• Gordon’s advanced hermeneutics class is a big hit with our members.  Participants are learning about healthy Bible interpretation, are turning in papers, taking tests, and will even have a final exam!  Over twenty students participate every Saturday.
• A dozen men from the Victory Church from the congregation attended the 2006 Leadership Summit (a Willow Creek event).
• Ila spoke to a group of ladies at the 3 in 1 conference in Curitiba in September and did a great job.
• Praise God for the firstfruits of the evangelistic DVD.  Many are coming to know Christ around Brazil through this powerful tool.
• Thank God for answering our many prayers for Claudia.  She has really started to do better in school!  Amen! 

PRAYER REQUESTS 

• Pray for Carlos Alberto, Katia, Renan and Mateus (a new family at church).  Especially remember Katia’s mom in your prayers as she is suffering from cancer.
• Ask God to build up Brazilian leaders and help us as we continue to transition from a missionary-led church to a Brazilian-led congregation.
• Pray for blessings upon the family of Scott and Sharla Reynolds.  They will be moving back to the states in early December and will be missed by our team and the congregation.
• Pray for Jorge, Renata, Julio, Sergio, Jose Paulo, and others who are close to making a decision for Christ.  May the Holy Spirit convict them and bring them into the saving arms of Jesus.
• Pray for the TV program and its continuing need for funding.
• Pray for the continued growth of the congregation as we continue to reach new heights.
• Pray for one of the teens at church who is fighting with homosexuality.
• Ask God to bless the marital struggles of Rodrigo and Aline.
• Pray for the trial of Jose Paulo who was involved in a traffic accident in another state.
• Ask for the Lord to bless the growth of our two young leaders, Bruno and Jefferson, and their seminary studies.
• May the Lord bless the upcoming ECO conference which united leaders of congregations from around Rio de Janeiro.
• Pray for the family of Daniel Valentin.  He was a wonderful Christian man and church leader who passed away a few weeks ago.
• Pray for Marlene’s struggle with depression.
• Pray for God’s wisdom to be poured out about us (Gordon and Ila) as we work and serve the Lord’s Kingdom in Rio.

PHOTO 1: David (6) and Claudia (9)

PHOTO 2: Men attend Willow Creek's 2006 Leadership Summit in Rio.

PHOTO 3: This month marks our 8th year in Rio. 

 RIO PRAYER UPDATE

September 26, 2006

Gordon, Ila, Claudia and David Dabbs

  Thanksgiving. . .

• Great new families added to church family!  On Sunday, Gordon led our "Workshop 1" for visitors who want to become members of the church.  Over 20 people participated.  Several new families are members of the Victory congregation and several baptisms will come out of the event.  Many of the people coming to the church are stable middle-class families who will bring a lot of leadership and energy to the congregation.  Right now, 50% of our church arrives by car.  In the past, most everyone came by bus.  This is an example of just how the congregation is becoming more and more middle-class.  While we want to reach out to all people in the name of Christ no matter what their socio-economic status, for our young church it is important to reach stable families who can help minister to the broken individuals who come to the church.
• DVD launched!  The DVD that Gordon produced has already sold 600 copies around Brazil!  The DVD "A Vida com Proposito"  (Life with Purpose) features Brazilian evangelist Antenor Goncalves.  It presents the Gospel of Christ in 5 video studies.  Even evangelical pastors are purchasing the DVD to share with their churches.  As they say, "Good news travels fast."  The Good News of Jesus is really spreading!
• We had a wonderful team retreat in Petropolis (1 1/2 hours outside of Rio).  We were able to continue our process of saying goodbye to the Scott Reynolds family who will be returning to the states in December, and make major strides towards redefining our church organization in order to move towards the 1000 member goal.
• Hermeneutics course is a big success.  Each Saturday, Gordon is teaching an in-depth course to 20 Brazilian members of the church on how to interpret the Bible.  The participants have to do a lot of outside reading, do homework, and will even have a final exam.  It is fundamental that the Victory congregation have mature members who are able to interpret and teach Scripture in a balanced way.
• Gordon spoke at the 3 in 1 Conference in Cutitiba (in the south of Brazil) to over 400 Christian leaders.  He also presented a conference on Christian Evidences in Fortaleza (northern Brazil) to members of the church there.
• The building is finished!!!  Thanks God! 

Requests. . .

• Pray for Claudia's (9 years old now) studies.  It is difficult for her to study and learn in two languages and we need your prayers for her.
• Continue to pray for David's health.  We have ups and downs but count on your prayers and God's faithfulness for our 6 year old son.
• Ask God to bless Ila's ministries to women at church.  She counsels and encourages several ladies at church.
• May God place a burden on every member of the Victory congregation to share the Good News of Christ!  Kevin Reynolds and Gordon are beginning a 5 week Sunday School class on evangelism to encourage loving outreach and to explain the use of the DVD in outreach.
• Pray for the TV ministry.  It's always a battle to come up with the funds for the program, but the results make it worth it.  Many of the new families at church are a result of the program.
• Ask God for wisdom, love and courage in dealing with sin issues at church.
• Ask God to bless the families at church who are in the process of legalizing their marriages.  Amandio and Bete, Erico and Anastacia, Penha and her companion, and others.
• Pray for the studies and growth of our two young evangelists, Bruno and Jefferson as they continue to prepare for full-time ministry.

Photo 1: Men of the Rio Team at our recent retreat.

Photo 2: Ladies of the Rio Team.

RIO PRAYER UPDATE

Gordon, Ila, Claudia and David Dabbs

May 2006 

Thanksgiving 

• We had a successful Marriage Encounter with over 30 couples participating.  Guest speakers Alvaro and Linda Pestana led the discussions.
• The funds needed to finish our chapel and our annex have come in!  Amen.  We thank God for His faithfulness in raising up servants able to help us finish the job.  We still need a bit more to buy chairs and furnishings.
• The building construction is on track for all to be ready by our June 25 inauguration.
• Thank God for the successful Oklahoma Christian campaign.
• We are thankful for Claudia's 9th birthday!  What a blessing she is as a daughter!

Prayer Needs 

• Pray for the completion of the evangelistic DVD.  I've proofed the initial master copy and everything looks good for us to enter the production phase.
• Jessica, a 13 year old who is a member, along with her parents Getulio and Cissa, will have brain surgery to deal with an aneurism on Tuesday the 30th of May.  Please remember to pray for her and her family!
• Also, ask our mightly Lord to place an evangelistic spirit in the heart of every member of the Victory church.
• Ask God to bring many lost and seeking souls to His Kingdom through the Victory congregation.
• Ask the Lord to bless our preparations for the inauguration date.
• Pray for the Lord to bring the Let's Start Talking students to faith in Christ.  Also, ask HIm to bless the LST workers who are doing their best to share the Lord (David, Darlinda, Veronica, Sarah and Brittany).
• Ask God to bless Erico and Anastacia in their plans to be married.
• Ask the Lord to give Luciano strength in his battles with temptation.
• Ask the Lord to help your two children, David and Claudia, to grow in faith and commitment to the Lord Jesus.

PHOTO 1: Claudia gets ready to blow out the candles at her 9th Birthday Party.

PHOTO 2: This past Sunday, members were challenged to break down the barriers that hinder us from sharing our faith with the lost.  At the end of the service, members wrote the names of their lost friends and relatives on the undersides of the ceramic tiles that will become the floor of the chapel.  Hundreds of names were written.  Someday, our hope is that the people whose names are written on the tiles will stand on these tiles and become children of the Living God.  It was a powerful time of blessing and challenge for our young congregation.

• Gordon will be traveling back to the USA for a week of fund-raising (in April).  May the Lord bless him and those he will be speaking with so that the final funds can be raised to finish the project.  He'd much rather stay in Rio and continue the work with the church, but realizes the major need right now is to see the building project to completion.
• Pray that everything will come together so that the inauguration on June 25 will be an awesome celebration of our 6th anniversary as a church, and a time to launch our powerful ministries to the city of Rio.  Also, pray that the buildings will be finished!
• Pray for the TV ministry and the fund-raising for this vital effort.
• Ask God to plant an evangelistic spirit in the heart of each church member.  The evangelistic DVD will be launched next month and we are praying for a huge harvest.
• May our wonderful Lord continue to bless our family with good health, and may our children continue to grow in their faith.

 PHOTO 1: Gordon's first sermon in the new buildings was on John 13.  Jesus' washing of the disciples feet illustrated for our members the importance of Christian ministry.

• Pray for the evangelistic DVD series that is nearing completion, and the young man, Lucas Gates, who is responsible for the final editing.
• Pray for Gordon and Carlos' upcoming brief fund-raising trip to the USA to raise additional funds needed to complete the building project.
• Ask God to bless Erico and Anastacia, a young couple at church, who are struggling with sin issues and the consequences of their past mistakes.
• Ask God to bless the congregation with an evangelistic spirit.
• May the Lord convict Sylvia and Luciano to remain sexually pure before their marriage.
• Pray for the preparations for the Alameda Church of Christ's (Norman, OK) campaign trip.
• Upcoming marriage of church members Ricardo and Vanusa.  Ila and I have been asked to be witnesses at the legal ceremony.  We will have a religious ceremony at the church later.  Pray that these wonderful young people will continue their incredible journey of faith together.
• New discipleship program planned by church member Marco Polo (reached through the mass-media ministry) and missionary Scott Reynolds.  We are launching it in three weeks. 

• Our two young evangelist trainees are doing exceptionally well.  Jefferson is in Rio right now on break, but will soon return to Campo Grande for his continuing intensive Bible studies.  Bruno, an extremely gifted young man, is continuing his studies at the Baptist Seminary in Rio, and is still working as our intern with the teens and young adults. 
• A major victory!  David has begun doing his own catheters at school now!  All reports are that it is going great.  We are sooooo proud of him.
• Claudia and David are both enjoying the new school year.
• The TV ministry continues to produce good results.  18 viewers have called over the past three months because of the show expressing their desire to help financially with the costs of the program. Amen!  Many people are visiting the church because of the program.